Cherub (oz3841)

About this Plan

Cherub. Free flight power sport model.

Quote: "A plan for the point five's and also suitable for the Mills 75. Cherub, straight from the board of that popular designer, Vic Smeed.

INCREASING popularity of the .5 cc motors creates a demand for small power models which, until fresh contests are arranged for baby motors, are generally required to be of the semi-scale, pleasure-flying type. Cherub has been designed with this end in view, but, in having its 30 in wing, 153 sq in of area, it is also quite capable of handling any motor of up to 1 cc. All flying with the prototype has been carried out with a better-than-average Mills 75, using an 8 x 4 plastic propeller, which gives a rate of climb in the order of 800 feet per minute, without introducing any trimming complications whatsoever.

Features of the design are the rugged but simple construction, low cost, and short building time. The all-sheet fuselage takes less than half the time of a built-up job, and that bugbear of most modellers, the cowling, has been reduced to five pieces of very soft 1/4 in sheet. Wing and tail each involve only one rib size and easy sheet tips, so that even a slow builder should be able to complete the whole model in about ten hours building time.

No trimming whatsoever - not ever rudder - was needed on the prototype for safe flying. Check that the model balances 2-3/8 in back from the leading edge (ie just forward of mid-chord), try one hand glide, then launch with everything straight and the motor miming slowly. Use a Truflex 8 x 4 for initial tests with motors of .75 or above. Progressively increase motor speeds and make any small adjustments that may be desirable. Probably slight right rudder will be advisable for the best flight pattern, but Cherub will turn either way without danger.

Detailed building instructions are issued free with each copy of the full size plan from APS. We can recommend this design to beginners, for its easy to build, easy to fly characteristics, so if you are contemplating a point-five engine, this is your plan.

Stubby nose, with wide-view cabin and neat side-winder cowling, are obvious points in this close-up view at left, and front three-quarter at right. All sheet fuselage takes the knocks of sport flying with impunity, whilst standard buift-np wires and tail are just the thing for te beginner. Small span of 30 inches makes it one of the easiest-to-transport models we have published."

Quote: "Next the Cherub presented in the September 1952 Aeromodeller. Now let me wax lyrically about this design by Vic Smeed. I built one a few years ago and fitted a Banks 0.4cc Mills replica in it. It was a beautiful combination. One of those that gets slung in the car with a can of fuel and performs faultlessly at every outing. Old Warden, Middle Wallop and Barkston, it flew at all the top venues and never once disgraced itself. It is truly a lovely craft. With the designed Mills 0.75 I believe it would be over powered and nose heavy, stick with something small and reap the rewards. Oil finally got to mine after nearly 5 years and lord knows how many cans of fuel. As with all my drawings they are but CAD tracings from a scan of the original article. Remember always measure twice before even thinking of cutting. If you notice a mistake please drop me a line so I can rectify it."

Supplementary file notes

Article. Includes original drawing as printed.

CAD file

This plan is available for download in CAD format.

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